USPS employees demand hazard pay with petition

All “Essential” workers should get Hazard Pay. Our mail carriers are exposed to thousands of packages and homes daily but the USPS may not survive the summer. I agree with their petition plan. What do you think?

Employees of businesses being declared “essential” during the coronavirus outbreak have been demanding better working conditions, and rightfully so. From hazard pay to protective gear, to paid sick leave, their requests are far from ludicrous, and the whole situation is being seen by many as the best opportunity for workers who have long been undervalued to band together and create change.

But employees of one particular entity are in a unique position—the United States Postal Service (USPS).

A petition has been circulating, with USPS workers making similar demands as employees from behemoth corporations such as Amazon. They are requesting hazard pay, slamming the USPS CEO Megan Brennan for not providing everyone with hand sanitizer or masks, and accusing their union of being no help.

“As we get deeper and deeper into this Coronavirus epidemic postal employees are being forced to work and do overtime upwards of 12 hours a day,” the petition reads. “As of this present time there have been Upwards of more than 40 confirmed cases of coronavirus with-in the United States Postal Service.”

The outcry has quickly gained momentum, with over 300,000 signatures on the petition as of the time of writing, and many on social media voicing their support as “USPS EMPLOYEES” trends on Twitter.

“USPS employees are essential, underappreciated, and ridiculously hardworking people,” writer Scott Weinberg tweeted. “Give them hazard pay, a raise, PPE, and whatever else they need to do their jobs.